The present invention relates to a bone plate system, and more particularly, to an improved hybrid bone plate system including a screw at least partially covered with a polymer component that is inserted into the bone plate to achieve a secure fit.
Locked plating techniques offer an alternative biomechanical approach for fracture fixation. Locking screw-plate systems act as single-beam constructs in the bone, and the plate does not require compression and friction generation to achieve mechanical stability. In locked plating systems, screws or pins with threads on the undersurface of the head are threaded into the plate, creating a fixed-angle device that does not allow screw toggle. Current clinical problems with such systems include: loosening of screw-plate connections; breakage/deformation of screw-plate connections; time consuming screw insertion; breakage/deformation of screws or blades in surgeries; and explantation/material removals. Undesirable loss of screw purchase in some conventional systems is related to the failure of fixation systems in osteoporotic bone or other weakened bone. Therefore, there is a need for an improved bone plate system.